It’s very easy to get confused over enquiries, leads and opportunities yet the distinction is vital for accurate and meaningful forecasting

So, before I explain how to qualify them, let me just clear the distinction up.

Enquiry:

somebody has made contact because they want something (it could just be information).

Lead:

a qualified enquiry – they want to buy something

Opportunity:

they are giving you the chance to sell them your offering.

Now, let’s talk about qualifying enquiries to turn them into leads.

We use a simple term to do this – BANTM: –

  • Budget:  they now have enough money to buy your offering (if not, then when?)
  • Authority: they can make the purchase (if not, then who can?)
  • Need: they have a real need they want to satisfy – not a tire-kicker.
  • Timing: they want to buy now (if not, then when?)
  • Match: your product is a good match for their needs.

When you can put a tick next to each of the above you have a lead.

Next time somebody is banging on about the number of leads they’ve just generated ask them how many are BANTM qualified. That should be fun.